Headed to Sin City

Senior Mandy Hill got the job done in the circle against Oregon Wednesday afternoon, pitching a gritty seven-hit, two-strikeout shutout against the Ducks (13-10) to give the Vikings two wins in a row over the Pac-10.

Hill also went 2-2 at the plate with two RBIs as she improved her record to 6-7 on the year.

“She had a good outing both offensively and defensively. They weren’t really sure what was coming. She let her defense play behind her, and they did a good job again,” said head coach Amy Hayes. “She did really well at the plate and hit a couple of nice shots and got us some runs.”

Jana Rae Slayton went 2-3 and homered for the Vikings. Shortstop Arielle Wiser also went 2-3 and improved her team-leading average to .321.

Oregon’s Alicia Cook (5-6) took the loss, giving up all four runs while striking out four and walking three.

“Two [in a row] is pretty nice. I think for us, we just went in with the same mind frame. We had a confidence about us and a calmness about us. We had a job to do and we did it,” Hayes said.

The win improved the Vikings to 8-13 following a tough weekend in Seattle that included losses to Alabama, Washington and Nevada before Portland State pulled out a 4-2 win over the Huskies on the final day of the Husky Softball Classic.

“The UW win was huge,” said freshman utility player Brandi Campos. “Hopefully, we stay confident because beating those Pac-10 schools is huge. It makes me think maybe we should be in the Pac-10.”

Before Campos can begin petitioning the Pac-10 to add Portland State to the league, the Vikings must travel to Nevada for the UNLV Invitational. The Vikings take on New Mexico State, Southern Utah twice, Ohio State and tourney host University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

The Vikings beat New Mexico State 5-2 at the Cathedral City Kickoff Classic Feb. 9. Hill gave up seven hits and struck out three to earn the win. Senior left fielder Shannon Stacy went 3-4 to pace the Portland State offense.

The Aggies are 11-12 on the season coming off a pair of run-rules victories over Georgetown.

UNLV is 13-9-1 after dropping a 1-0 decision to another Pac-10 team Wednesday, the UCLA Bruins. Stephanie Bregante gave up the sole run to fall to 6-6 on the year.

Southern Utah, 4-9 in limited action, split a series with Dixie State College last week. Freshman Brittany Henderson leads the team with a .312 batting average. Senior outfielder Rodeo Carli leads the team with seven RBIs and two home runs.

Ohio State (11-4) is ranked No. 20 in the country and features a potent offense. Brittany Goodchild leads the Buckeyes, hitting .529 with seven runs and two RBIs. Kim Reeder is 2-2 with a 1.33 ERA, while Lindsay Bodeker is 1-0 with a 1.24 ERA. The Buckeyes are the only truly elite team the Vikings will face in Las Vegas.

“Going into UNLV, I think the kids are starting to see what we can do. I just think things are coming together, and that’s what you want,” Hayes said.

Hayes said she is pleased with where her team is at less than a week before the team opens its home schedule at Erv Lind Stadium against Mississippi Valley State.

“I think they’re doing good. This is the midpoint of the season after five weeks on the road, where you kind of get tired,” Hayes said. “Our goal is to win the Northwest, and I think we’re doing a good job of that.”

Hayes said that while she hasn’t had a chance to fully break down the weekend matchups, she sees some similarities between the Vikings and their upcoming foes.

“All these teams are kind of alike. We’ve had great moments and some not so great moments. Going into UNLV, I think the kids are starting to see what we can do,” she said. “I just think things are coming together, and that’s what you want. I think we can’t worry about our outcome. We have to take the same game plan, same attitude and same energy to the game.”